Tacoma SDS

Activists protest in front of Northwest Detention Center on Feb. 13. lashing out at the legal limbo those locked up inside of it face, protesters demonstrated outside of Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) on Feb. 13. Activists object to facility conditions, and rally on the second Saturday of each month at noon. Food and beverages are provided to detainee visitors, while protestors picket the facility and provide information about NWDC to the public.

This is a link to the companion slideshow for the 4-Part KUOW Radio Special Between Worlds/Behind Bars airing next week. Transcipts available too.

The slideshow reveals for the first time a complete internal diagram of the Northwest Detention Center.

From the dark days of the Chinese Exclusion Act to post–September 11 crackdowns on undocumented immigrants, immigration detention has a controversial history in both our nation and in the Puget Sound region. "Between Worlds / Behind Bars" is a four–part series exploring immigration detention from its roots in the 1930s at "Seattle's Ellis Island" in the International District to today's privately–run Northwest Detention Center on the Tacoma Tideflats.

After nearly a year of reporting and production, our radio series on immigration, detention, and deportation in Washington State is airing this month. For those of you in Seattle, tune in to KUOW 94.9 during Morning Edition the week of February 22nd to catch this four-part series.

And for everyone else, we'll post a link to the series as soon as it's online.

Happy listening!

The GEO Group Awarded Contract for the Expanded Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington
BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct 20, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) ("GEO") announced today that it has been awarded a contract by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") for the continued management of the company-owned Northwest Detention Center (the "Center") located in Tacoma, Washington. The Center houses immigration detainees for ICE. GEO has substantially completed a $50.0 million, company-financed 545-bed expansion of the existing 1,030-bed Center.

The following expose of the riots at the GEO Group Inc private prison in Pecos Texas, provides insight onto the failure of the private prison industry. A similar riot occured at the GEO run NWDC in Tacoma, Wa on 10 Aug 2009 when detainees complained about poor food conditions. The kitchen had been closed as part of an ongoing $40 million expansion and basic food quality deteriorated. At the same time, GEO Group raised prices in the commissary. The disturbance was put down by GEO guards using OC spray, impact rounds, and rubber stinger bullets fired from 37mm grenade launchers.

On Friday, 28 August 09 a Judge will rule in the above lawsuit. GEO, owner and operator of the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma has sued to prevent the release of key building and construction plans to Timothy Smith, Chairperson of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee - Tacoma.

GEO cites all the typical boogeypeople for their suit including homeland security, intellectual property, and even exemptions to the Public Records Act
link http://www.mrsc.org/Subjects/Legal/prd/prd.aspx

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_detention_pepper_spray.html?sou...

Guards use pepper spray on immigrant detainees
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE -- Federal officials say guards from the private company that runs the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma used pepper spray to control immigrant detainees who were refusing to follow orders.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lorie Dankers says detainees weren't responding to orders Sunday night to go to bed.

ICE released the much overdue solicitation for the next NWDC contract on 20 April (Hitler's Birthday).

The current contract expires on the 23rd so a modification and extension of the current contract are required for
continued operation until this contract is let to the new operator.

The full solicitation can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/dkgkvp

The Government will conduct a Pre-proposal Conference on April 29, 2009 at 9:00A.M., 24000 Avila Road, Room TBD, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677.

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE COME!!!

WHO: Bill of Rights Defense Committee- Tacoma and Friends
WHAT: Help us during our annual spring clean-up/EarthDay celebration at our "Adopt-A-Spot" near the Northwest Detention Center 1623 Eeast J Street. This is also the 5th anniversary of the opening of the NWDC.
WHEN: 0900 - 1200 PST (Anything official starts at 1000)
WHERE: http://maps.live.com/?v=2&encType=1&cid=F58AF98DE15E423B!117

WHY: This is our fifth year of maintaing this little part of Tacoma. To know more about why please look here: http://tacomasds.org/node/1083